The present disclosure relates generally to fabrication of nanostructures and in particular to high density nanostructure fabrication using nanoimprint lithography.
Nanostructures are used for a variety of application areas, including, among other things, optical and magnetic data storage. One form of data storage is a low-cost information storage media known as Read Only Memory (ROM). One way to make ROM disks is by injection molding. Such disks may have a data storage density of xcx9c0.68 Gbit/in2, and are read using a focused laser beam. To meet the future demand for ROM disks with increasing information storage densities, methods must be developed for low-cost manufacturing of such disks with replicated data patterns, and for inexpensive read-back techniques suitable for retrieving high-density information.
One attempt is to develop ROM disks with ultrahigh-density topographical bits and to use proximal-probe based read-back. ROM disks of topographic bits with 45 Gbit/in2 storage density have recently been reported by a group from IBM (B. D. Terris, H. J. Mamin, and D. Rugar, 1996 EIPBN, Atlanta, Ga., 1996; B. D. Terris, H. J. Mamin, M. E. Best, J. A. Logan, D. Rugar, and S. A. Righton, Apply Phys. Lett., 69, 4262 (1996)). This group reports that features as small as 50 nm were produced by electron beam lithography and replicated on a glass substrate using a photopolymerization (2P) process. However, a smaller the feature size is needed to increase the storage density of the medium.
What is needed in the art is an improved method and apparatus for high density nanostructures. There is also a need for smaller feature size storage to enhance storage density.
The present disclosure teaches methods and apparatus which address the needs in the art mentioned above and addresses several other needs not mentioned expressly herein, but appreciated by those skilled in the art.
Method and apparatus for producing nanostructures is provided. The nanostructures are useful in the production of high density and ultra-high density storage media. The method and apparatus are demonstrated in the application to nano-compact disks, however, the method and apparatus are suitable for other applications, and the nano-compact disk application is not intended in an exclusive or limiting sense.
In particular nano-compact disks with 400 Gbit/in2 storage density containing 10 nm minimum feature sizes have been fabricated using nanoimprint lithography. Furthermore, method and apparatus relating to the reading and wearing of Nano-CDS using scanning proximal probe techniques are described. This storage density is nearly three orders of magnitude higher than commercial CDS (0.68 Gbit/in2). Other embodiments are possible with different feature sizes and different storage densities using the method and apparatus provided herein.